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She moved across the room like a hawk smoothly diving—and just as swiftly, her prey was trapped mercilessly in her grip.
“Hello, Stepmother,” I said.
Odessa held her blade carefully against Sephone’s porcelain skin, just at the temple.
“It seems your security could stand some improvements, Odessa,” Hawl boomed. “Not that I mind the diversion.”
“It certainly could. I believe ‘ensconced comfortably in the dungeons’ were the words used?” I said, raising my eyebrows at Odessa.
“Can anyone really be comfortable in the dungeons?” Odessa shot back. “Especially the ones your father built. They’re always full of rats and spiders. Or so I’m told. Care to weigh in, Sephone?”
I half expected Sephone to hiss and spit like a cat. Her eyes were wide and furious. Her plan to murder me while I was alone in my rooms had been foiled, and she was evidently still reeling with disappointment. Her dark red hair had been pinned back from her face. She was dressed more plainly than I had ever seen her before. But then, even though I had instructed the guards to make her comfortable, this had not extended towards her ordinarily jewel-laden silk gowns.
The former Queen Regent bared her teeth with a hiss of venomous steam. There it was. The poisonous breath she was so renowned for.
But with the knife at her temple and Odessa’s arm tight around her throat, a small puff was all she dared release.
“She has supporters, it would seem,” Odessa noted.
“Not particularly clever or well-organized ones,” Hawl growled.
“Well, they did get her out of the dungeons.” My eyes narrowed. “You don’t look particularly surprised by that, Odessa.”
The warrior woman looked slightly chagrined. “There’s only one good way to test your own security.”
“By springing a trap for yourself,” I finished.
“I wasn’t certain she’d manage to get this far,” Odessa said. “I’m almost impressed, Sephone. Your supporters are well-funded. It will be a pleasure to hunt them down and lay these corpses at their feet.”
“Before you turn them into corpses themselves. This does create a problem, however.” I ran a hand over my jaw.
“Since you’d have preferred to leave her to rot and not deal with her treachery in an overt way, you mean?” Odessa said sweetly. She met Hawl’s eyes. “Look, I know she’s your stepmother, but she’s also a treacherous bitch who has now spat your pity right back in your face. Quite literally.” She gave Sephone’s neck a slight squeeze.
Sephone’s eyes narrowed in rage. “The only treachery here is on your part,” she hissed. “You would annihilate the Siabra, destroy us all. Have us become feeble and weak-hearted. You would have placed that outsider bitch upon my throne. My throne!”
“Decidedly not your throne,” I interrupted, mildly.
Her eyes flared. “Avriel would have made a strong emperor. And with me by his side...”
“Yes, but he’s dead now. So that won’t be happening. That ‘outsider bitch,’ as you called her, saw to that, remember? Anything else you’d like to say in your defense?” Odessa nudged her slightly forward.
“Defense!” Sephone managed to eek out a bitter laugh. “I need no defense. And when the court realizes the extent of our prince’s weakness, why, they’llbegfor me to resume my duties as regent of this court and to lead them into battle as we retaliate against the Valtain and bring your deviant little sister back for her well-deserved execution for treason.”
“As I recall, she wasn’t the only one who committed what you might call ‘treason,’” I reminded. “Trying to kill the new empress...”
A puff of steam. “Stop calling her that.”
“I believe a very powerful being confirmed you should leave Morgan well alone, Sephone,” I said.
“What sort of a being?” Odessa’s eyes flickered with interest.
I shifted uncomfortably. “I’m still not entirely sure. Certainly not a mortal one.” Though it had displayed no qualms in possessing mortal forms. Each time, taking up residence in a dead body temporarily. First the child, Odelna. Then the corpse of a soldier in our royal guard.
“You have more important things to do than deal with Sephone and her plotting. Or overseeing her trial,” Odessa pointed out.
“The former regent has made one good point, my prince,” Hawl growled. “We were indeed attacked.”
I met the Bearkin’s eyes. “Indeed, we were.”
